21st Century

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT 21ST CENTURY - PAGE 5

The world, William Wordsworth observed, is too much with us. He didn't know the half of it. If you desire a convincing illustration that the world has gotten its cold little pincers around even the most intimate parts of your life -- "intimate" in the sense of your soul, not in the sense of your underwear drawer -- try this simple experiment: Open George Eliot's "Middlemarch" or William Makepeace Thackery's "Vanity Fair," two hefty examples...

Early cathedrals relied on celestial spires and vast interiors adorned with colorful windows, carvings and statues to stimulate religious aspirations. Now, New York designer Edwin Schlossberg is working to re-create this experience in the highly computerized environment of the new $51 million Pope John Paul II Cultural Center. "It will be very compelling, very interactive and unique," the prize-winning Schlossberg said in discussing the designs for the five galleries. "I'm hoping it will be an upbeat, fun place."

Lady Liberty will be commemorated in everything from chocolate to crystal in this centennial year, but she will not be celebrated in a more colorful, personal or quintessentially American way than she was at the Great American Quilt Festival. One of the most comprehensive needlework and textile events ever staged, the four-day festival that ended Sunday, was produced by the Museum of American Folk Art and sponsored by Scotchgard in honor of the Statue of Liberty centennial. Held on the Hudson River's sprawling Exhibition Pier 92, the festival unfolded as a quilter's dream, packed with workshops, lectures and demonstrations and decorated with thousands of quilts, including many rarely seen antique specimens, culled from the collections of the museum and more than 100 top dealers in the country.

"A huge dose of hyperbolical slang, maudlin sentimentalism and tragicomic bubble and squeak." Those memorable words were written more than 100 years ago by the venerated critic William Harrison Ainsworth, about a book and an author who were obviously best forgotten: "Moby Dick," by Herman Melville. Before leaping forward two centuries, it may be instructive to consider the plight of Melville, who started out a popular writer of sea stories. When his work turned bleaker and deeper, in "Moby Dick" and "Billy Budd," he was scorned for his inaccessibility by Ainsworth and other critics, deserted by his readers and allowed to sink, temporarily, into the depths of obscurity.

As the school day drew to a close, a cluster of students chatted noisily around the lockers of Kanagawa Comprehensive High School. The scene appeared normal enough. Normal, that is, if they had been in America. Most wore jeans, sneakers and T-shirts. A few boys sported earrings, sports caps and Sony Walkmen. A few girls were clad in mini-skirts. None of the boys wore the black Prussian-style army uniforms that are required in many Japanese high schools. None of the girls wore blue sailor outfits, white bobby sox and black penny loafers-still the uniform of choice in this highly regimented society.

The late sex expert Alex Comfort's original "The Joy of Sex" book was more than iconic after it was released in 1972. It came to practically symbolize the sexual revolution of the late 1960s and early '70s. Susan Quilliam, the British sexpert and relationship coach, took on the difficult task of updating "Sex" for the 21st Century. RedEye chatted with her about the book, which was published in January and, of course, about sex. RYAN SMITH Why did this book need an update? Because so many things have changed since the book has been originally written.

Ninety-five years ago, architect Daniel Burnham sketched a plan for Chicago's lakefront that proved so captivating that city voters backed a $20 million bond issue to build a chunk of it, including Northerly Island (which later became a lakefront airport that a certain king -- er, mayor -- shut down in the middle of the night). Now, in the skylit lobby of the very building where Burnham worked out his 1909 Plan of Chicago, a bracing exhibit showcases new visions for the city's lakefront.

If Judy and Rob Grundstrom's Minneapolis house were a person, it would be an aging Baby Boomer, old enough for AARP, hip enough to keep you guessing. The 1956-built rambler needed some freshening up when the couple bought it a few years ago. But instead of a radical face-lift, they opted for a less-invasive overhaul. "We left it mainly intact," said Judy, an architect and managing principal with IOTA (Inland Office for Tomorrow's Architecture). "We did a lot of cosmetic stuff that doesn't cost a ton of money."

By Rajiv Desai, Chicago-based Indian journalist who has followed Rajiv Gandhi`s career for the past five years | April 6, 1986

Anil and Anu Bhatia, both in their 30s and with MBA degrees from Doon School, India's most prestigious management school, also think that Rajiv Gandhi "will do something." Anu has quit her job to stay home and take care of their son, Aditya. Anil heads the Bombay office of Hindustan Thompson Associates, one of the largest ad agencies in Asia. O exclusive Cuffe Parade area, Anil Bhatia contemplates the sweeping view of Bombay's harbor and its impressive skyline. He feels the government ought to take a serious look at the problems of India's urban middle class.